Warriors of the Fallen
by eemhp31
Summary: They Saved the world, but the War doesn't end there. The Dark Master still has generals on the field and one of them just lost his favorite playthings. (A retool/reimagining of my first fanfiction story. Warning: Will contain character deaths, and disturbing content as the story goes on.)
1. Prolog

**The Legend of Spyro**

 **Warriors of the Fallen**

 **Prolog: Where something Finally goes right**

Sleeping, it was one the few ways any of them could escape. They all craved it, wanted it and above all, needed it. It was why if someone was asleep; they were not disturbed. So when something woke him up with no warning or reasoning, not only was he confused, but he also annoyed.

He opened his brown eyes, his tired brown eyes. There was nothing, nothing but the other subjects all sleeping in their large room. The room was dull; a bench lined the walls except within a few feet of the only door. There was a two-way mirror up on the north face wall, how any of them knew it was north they had no clue.

There was nothing out of place, none of them were missing, he could see through the two-way mirror so there was no one there and there was no sound being made near the door. So why was he awake?

His throat vibrated slightly as he called up his magic, it was limited thanks to heavy duty shackles digging his wrists. They were Suppressors, the most powerful the bastard had, but enough was able to get through that he could at least Feel. But the thing was that there was nothing to Feel. No foreign particles in the air, nothing hidden was revealed by the light breeze he commanded, and none of the other's signatures were off. Everything was normal...as normal can be.

But something had to have awoken him; he would not have woken up otherwise.

He stretched his senses further, the breeze would not help, but his other senses should. But even those did not work. He could feel the entire complex, but it was quite, cleared out of all but the security.

Then the pulse came. He was instantly on his feet, his linen wrapped and shitty slip on shoe covered feet. The pulse was something new; it had come from far beyond the compound...almost...below him!

He had no time to waste, with quick and precise moments he was around the others on the ground, more and more of which were beginning to wake up. The Pulse was affecting them all; he must have felt it before it had reached them, it would not have been the first time his inner power had done that for him.

His target was getting up as he was reaching him.

The target looked at him, his gray eyes locked onto Him, "You felt that?"

He nodded, "Yes, I woke up only a bit before. It came from outside, almost below us."

The target blinked, looking at the ground he let out a "Hm, You sure. I'm not sensing anything from down there."

He nodded, firmly this time. "I'm sure. Something is happening somewhere. Something that is going to shift the Planet. Ready the others This is going to be big, and we need to be ready."

The target snorted and looked at him, "I sure hope so, maybe...no I won't say it."

He smiled, "You don't have to. But even still, be ready, and, if the ancestors are watching, it just might be."

No further words were needed. The two males split, they had a to be ready.

When the next pulse hit, it was much stronger. So strong that those that were barely waking up were up in an instant Something was going on, and whatever it was going to happen soon.

No sooner had the last of them stood up did it indeed happen.

One second the world was whole, the next it was splitting apart. It was no earthquake, they all knew it. But it mattered not, if the world was breaking so too was the complex. So while the security tried to survive, the subjects ran through the new holes.

They did not care that the ground was becoming more and broken, they only cared that it meant freedom. And when the next pulse came, when the world started to pull itself back together, they did not care again. They had escaped, not a one of them would stop running, from rejoining landmass to rejoining landmass, in all directions they could.

For in the defeat of the Dark Master, thanks to the power and will of the Young Purple Dragon, not only had the world been saved. But the Artificial Awakened had been able to escape hell. The Lost Children had gotten free, and soon The Dark Master's Wolf General would feel the wrath of the Missing Generation, Those who would be called the Warriors of the Fallen.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Legend of Spyro**

 **Warriors of the Fallen**

 **Chapter 1: And you are?**

"So…We're lost." The speaker's voice was soft, light and friendly, but also had a tonne of slight teasing.

"Oh terribly. I don't ever remember seeing those mountains on any maps." The second speaker's voice was a good bit deeper, but also cracking slightly but just as friendly.

The first voice chuckled, "We'll, the continent was a big place. It would make sense if you hadn't seen a map for everywhere while in the Temple."

The second voice hummed lightly before responding, "To be honest...I didn't really care to even try. I was more interested in reading history."

First Voice was shocked, "History? Really?"

Second Voice hitched a little, "Well...when you don't even know who you are, History can be a fascinating subject."

First Voice considered, "True. But maybe it would have been nice to try and remember other things."

Second Voice chuckles, "Oh I'm not disagreeing. And if we ever make it back to Warfang, I am damn well going to study more Maps and what not"

First Voice Smiled, she turned her head from where it was previously overlooking a vast forest filled horizon from the top of a cliff and instead gets a good look at the male with her. His Tanned face was the only bit not covered by the Medium Plate Armor both of them were wearing...A heavily damaged and barely working Medium Plate Armor, with holes in several places and an odd arrow shaft or two they could quite get out, but at least it was something.

When the male turned to look at her though, she did not care what he was had on. It was his eyes that drew her in; it was always those deep purple eyes that drew her in. And if there were not a helmet covering the top and back of his head, she would be even more drawn in as his purple hair, which was probably in short, if messy, ponytail right now, would frame his face just right.

The female had to kick herself mentally. Ever since getting out of the Time Crystel, she's had the hardest time thinking straight when not in combat around him, and it was starting to get to her...but then she also did not mind it too much, she just wished it was a bit more controllable.

He smiles, she almost feels like swooning, but quickly destroys that thought as he talks, "You know, While I don't mind staring into those emerald eyes of yours, we'll never get anything done just staring at each other."

She can not help but blush as she tears her eyes away and looks out over the horizon again.

He chuckles again and nudges her, "It's alright Cynder. I don't mind. Just figured I should say it."

Cynder could not hold back the smile or the blush that crossed her face, but she needed to respond some how. So she leaned lightly onto his shoulder, drawing comfort in the knowledge that he cared for her as much as she did for him.

Her companion leaned into her as well, but before anything more could be said or done a resounding boom reached their ears.

Both of them, well-experienced warriors, snapped up straight, magic dancing along their fingertips as they searched around for the source.

The male saw it first, a set of trees shaking differently from those around them, and a large set of small animals fleeing from the location. More booms came, and with the trees shaking even more, it was confirmed.

Cynder looked, "Could be a large animal?"

The male shook his head, "That loud of a boom? It'd have to be a darn big animal, one we'd see." He closed his eyes, and they started to glow slightly behind their eyelids as he extended his senses outward. "No...It feels more like...Magic. Restrained, almost restricted but definitely bursts of strong magic."

Cynder smirked, "That seems...odd? Think we should take a look?"

The male opened his eyes, releasing the magic he was using while shrugging, "Don't see why not. What else are we going to do?"

Cynder sighed, "Point."

The male nudged her, "Race you." He pivoted on his one foot looking at her as he calmly let himself fall down the cliff looking up at her with a smile on his face.

Cynder did a double take then yelled, "Damn It Spyro! Get Back here!" As she jumped down the cliff after him.

* * *

 _It is said that great winged lizards where the first dragons. Creatures the size of houses who could move as if they were the size of a much smaller creature. It was said that they possessed knowledge beyond compare. Their strength could move mountains. And their love for all around them was endless. But while these gifts made them great, it also scared the other races._

 _The first dragons tried to overcome this fear by teaching the other races. To the Birds, they taught the art of flying and how to explore the vast sky. To the great beast of land, they taught how to make the ground yield to them and live in peace with it. To creatures of the sea, they taught to make beautiful creations from the sea herself and how to explore its furthest reaches._

 _And to the Humans, the race with which the dragons found a kindred spirit in, they taught the art of Magic. But Humanity is not always a kind race._

 _A few humans, a small few, felt that magic was not enough, that the dragons were not teaching them all they should, all that they_ deserved _to know. They soon confronted the dragons and tried to take the knowledge for themselves. The dragons showed them their folly and in anger took back the gift of magic._

 _While the first dragons did love all, it was a love that also understood the lengths some would go to. They knew that if they stayed more would eventually show, jealous of the dragons might and knowledge and want more. And so the dragons decided to move on._

 _But they were not without compassion. When the dragons left, they let those they had taught keep their knowledge so that they may pass it down and let it continue to not only flourish but also expand. So that they may discover new insights and one day reach them._

 _The Birds became the Birds, The creatures of the land became all the animals we know today, and the creatures of the sea became the many fish in the sea._

 _Before they went, they visited a select few of the most loyal followers, their best students among the human kind and revealed a truth to them. The magic they had gifted humanity, was dragon magic. But humanity had a magic all its own; all dragon magic did was unlock it. And so before they left, they opened it again and allowed those who could best use magic to carry on._

 _This happened in an instant, asleep one night and awake the next. It was as if those who had magic had awakened from a slumber they didn't even know they were in._

 _With the dragons gone, only those who had Awakened could do magic anymore. Soon to be Awakened meant the same as being a Dragon. As such, any who show the gift of magic are considered to be Awakened Dragons._

 _-Nightly Tales, Writing the Oral History: Origins of the Awakened Dragons._

* * *

Landing at the bottom of the cliff was easy, a burst of wind from Cynder feet and a burst of fire from Spyro (with a little bit of earth magic to soften the ground as well), and they were safely on the ground. Spyro had to take off running so as to escape Cynder's retaliation for him springing the race the way he did, but both of them had a smile on their face as they ran through the woods.

They were cautious of the booms, always moving in the direction they were coming from. Thankfully they were far enough that they could goof off a little as they moved closer. It was not until the booms became extremely loud, and they could both easily feel the magic creating the booms that they stopped goofing and became the hardened soldiers that they had to be to survive.

The booms and magic tapered off slightly the closer the got, but they were still there. They found the source in a small clearing, one that looked to be recently created if the fallen trees were any indication. And at the edge of the clearing punching an already damaged tree with a magic infused fist was a young man, a bit older than them from the looks of things, wearing a tattered white shirt, which hung loosely off his fit frame, white pants nearly falling apart and only being held up by a strip of white cloth tied securely around the waist and with feet wrapped in even more white cloth acting more like bandaged foot wear than anything else. But the most prominent item on the young man was the two large metal bracelets, more shackles with their size and how tight they seemed to be digging into the skin, they were also strangely decorated with runes and gems of power glowing and pulsing lightly with the use of magic.

When the couple saw the figure, they stopped behind a downed tree and observed. The man did not appear to notice them and kept hitting the tree with slow, methodical punches, one hand going in for a punch, the other coming backward and open palm facing the punching arm, repeat. Each punch was infused with magic, they could not tell if it was Raw Non-Elemental Magic, or Elemental Magic kept close to the skin. They could see that despite hitting the strong wood of the tree, his fist were not looking worse for the wear but the tree was definitely starting to become deformed. His arms however, those seemed to be heavily scared, all of them old though, but it was still strange to see.

Cynder motioned to the shackles, finding those to be the most interesting, and in a silent whisper spoke to Spyro, "Look at those. They look like Magic Suppressors."

Spyro nodded before responding just as silently, "They are, but unlike any I ever saw. But even still, they don't seem to be doing much to stop him using his magic."

Before Cynder could respond, the punching stopped, and a deep voice originating from the man in front of them answered instead, "They're working as they should. What you're seeing me do is just the little bit that they are not able to Suppress."

The couple froze, unsure if they had been overheard, or if he had been talking to someone they could not see. They knew for sure they had been heard when the man turned in their direction, looking exactly where they were taking cover, his hands raised in a ready position to fight still.

"You can come out. My Magic may be lessened, but I can easily sense to the two of you. Your signatures are so powerful I've been able to sense you for some time now. If you plan to fight, know that I won't go down quickly."

He was most certainly on edge, and the last thing either of them needed was an on edge dragon to deal with. The fact that he openly admitted that he was using magic definitely confirmed that he was a dragon of some kind. Hoping to defuse the situation even a little both of them rose up and out of their hiding spot and over to the other side of the fallen tree. They did their best to keep their hands away from either their swords, their ranged weapons had been destroyed during their battle with the Dark Master, so at least they did not have to worry about those.

The young man looked the two of them over with a critical eye before he lowered his hands.

Spyro, seeing the other guy relaxing a little decided to open up the conversation, "You must be pretty strong to be able to sense us with those Suppressors on. They look pretty heavy duty."

The man looked at the shackles on his wrists, "They are. The _Bastard_ made certain of that." The way he said bastard clearly showed his opinion of the creature, the near growl and almost wanting to spit at the mere mention of him was a clear sign of that.

Cynder was staring hard at the man, study him, unsure of what to make him, so Spyro continued, "I say again, impressive. The reason they are there, wouldn't be because of something we should be concerned about, is there?"

The young man chuckled lightly before responding, "Concerned? Maybe. But not about what I'll do to you, more of why he wanted it in the first place."

"That doesn't ease me at all."

The young man shorted lightly, "Even suppressed, I could probably put up a good fight against the two of you, maybe even injure one of you. It wouldn't be the first time I was forced to do so."

That got the two of them concerned, even during the height of the War dragons did not attack other dragons unless they were the enemy."

The young man sees their reaction and sighs, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "Peace. I wouldn't attack the two who are responsible for my freedom, especially since you two are the enemies the Dark Master and the forces he controlled."

Cynder raised an eyebrow, "So you know who we are?"

The young man nodded, "Of course, The Bastard would talk of both of you often." He looks to Spyro, "Spyro Resoren, The Purple Dragon of this age, raised by a tribe of forest dragonflies, Champion of the Dragon Temple, Defeater of Ancient Spirits, Killer of Gaul, and Vanquisher of the Dark Master." He looks to Cynder, "Cynder Qintro, Terror of the Skies, Learner of Convexity, Traitor of the Dark Army, Ex-Puppet of the Dark Master and also Vanquisher of the Dark Master. Yes, I know of both of you well."

Both of them became shocked at the titles this man sprouted off without a care. Some of them not even that friendly.

Spyro's hands had actually started to gravitate to his swords, "And an odd way of seeing us. The fact that you know both of our last names, names that only the Guardians have known quickly…"

The man chuckles again, "You Forget, She was under the command of the Dark Master, and he has...had many creatures under his control. It wasn't that hard for him to gather info on those he wished. I wouldn't be surprised if he knows everything about not only both of your personal history but your entire family lineage as well."

Cynder puts a hand on Spyro's, "He's right. My memory of back then is a bit spotty, but I do remember dealing with a few...intelligence gathering sorts."

Spyro breathes deeply before relaxing slightly.

The young man seems to think for a second, unconcerned at the hostility Spyro was just showing. He looks directly at Cynder, "I have a feeling that you seem to recognize me."

Spyro looked to Cynder as she slowly nodded and responded, "Somehow...in the back of my mind. Something is tickling, like seeing you is supposed to be some great thing...your magic almost feels...familiar…"

The young man chuckles, "Yeah, it would. Back when you last saw me you were still a puppet, and not only was I not suppressed but I wasn't very good at not wasting magical energy when I was using it. I only ever sensed you, and that was only once or twice."

"But...how? I was a general for the Dark Master, only meant to fight and carry out his direct orders."

"So was Gaul. But you two weren't the only ones. The one responsible for these," he raises his shackles wrists, "Was one of the other generals…" He takes a deep breath before continuing, "Do you remember...A giant black wolf with red markings and chained collar?"

Cynder's eyes widen and look at the young man, "Yes. Shadowfang."

The young man just about growls, "Yes...I call him Bastard, I refuse to say his name...my own little way of resisting him."

Spyro looks to Cynder, "Cynder?"

Cynder takes a shaky breath, "I...I don't remember all that clearly...but Shadowfang...he was one of Malefor's generals...one that operated more out of sight of the front lines. He did...horrible things. Anyone who wants him dead, is certainly someone we can trust."

Spyro continued to look at Cynder, still concerned but eventually, he nodded in understanding and looked back to the young man.

Said young man sighed light, "Well then, now that you've decided you won't attack me. Maybe you can help me get out of theses Suppressors. I've been trying to overload them, but they're too well built for me to do it. Maybe you two can help?"

Spyro sighs and walks forward, "Sure...Why not…"

The young man holds out his arms, and almost sarcastically says "Thanks."

After Spyro moves forward, Cynder does as well, both of them checking out one of the Suppressors to see what they can do. The shackles are definitely well built, their bands made from solid Iron and well crafted. The runes and gems of power are of a different make than those they are used to. They are meant to be more Limiters than Suppressors, limiting the amount of Magic allowed through, more than completely stopping the Magic from being used entirely like usual Suppressors that the world uses. That reason and that reason alone was probably the only reason they were still working, if they had been actual Suppressors they probably would have broken from the amount of Magic the man in front of them was trying to push through.

As they are working on the way to break the shackles off him, Spyro works to at least fill the silence, "So...we all know you know who we are, but you never did introduce yourself. We got a little distracted about how much you knew."

The man chuckles lightly, "True. My name is Marshal. Marshal Febree, if that matters."

Spyro shrugged, "Don't recognize the name, so not really. But who knows, maybe it might come in the future."

The newly named Marshal sighs lightly, "Unlikely. My family, with a few exceptions, is mostly likely dead. And even if they weren't...They probably think I'm dead and have moved on."

Cynder looked to Marshal real fast before going back to the shackle, "Oh? And what makes you say that? Just because you were...under the care of...you know who, doesn't mean they think you're dead…"

Marshal shook his head, "Maybe if had been for a short amount of time...but I was...under his care, as you call it, for almost ten years." The couple actually stopped in shock, but then Marshal continued, "I came under his care after the forces under his command attacked the village I lived in."

Spyro took another breath before sighing and went back to working the graspings on the shackles with a bit more vigor, "I'm...sorry to hear that. Maybe we can help you find out for sure? At the very least we can help you get to someone who can help you get back to a normal life."

Marshal let loose a booming, "HA!" before continuing in a more normal tone, "Normal? Not likely. But I appreciate the offer."

Cynder sighed lightly but said nothing. Spyro, however, understood and decided to change the subject, "Well, then let us at least get you out of these things. Breaking them with force won't do. And you can't overload them from inside of them. Neither of us can actually lock pick all that well. But, If I'm reading the runes right, we should be able to overload them from outside which would…"

Marshal interrupted, "Which would allow me to send power through the holes in the Limiter field and overload from my side."

Spyro nodded. "You know your stuff."

"Experience helps where knowledge is lacking." He takes a breath and nods. "Do it. I'm ready...but be warned when they break It will take me a second to bring my magic back under control again."

Spyro positioned his hands on either side of the shackle he was looking at, Cynder copying and with the other one, "Understood...here's go nothing."

The hands of the couple glowed a bright white color as they channeled Raw Magic into the shackles. The shackles, at first, seem to ignore the Magic, but then they start to spark and glow brighter as its components become saturated in magic in the complete opposite direction they were designed to have it come. They still hold up surprisingly well even once they started to become stressed; they were designed to channel and control a frightening amount of magic after all. Even still, they were not designed to go up against near the near demi-god levels of magical strength the like that the Legendary Couple could bring to bear while also holding back the near biblical proportions of magical power that Marshal could bring to bear when properly prepared. The Limiters, which had held up against power used by a single being which would have given the Dark Master pause, utterly failed in the face of three who could go toe to toe with the Dark Master and live to tell the tale.

When they failed, the shackles first cracked then shattered in a bright flash of magic, almost blinding all three of them. But the bigger issue came from a different source.

Marshal had been throwing the entire might of his magic against the limiters, and without anything to hold it back anymore, his Magic came forth with a vengeance that had not been seen in a long time.

The initial burst of Magic threw the not entirely prepared couple, who thankfully recovered and were able to land on their feet before landing against a nearby tree. But they had to crouch low to not be thrown again by the fierce winds flowing around Marshal.

Marshal was a first elated at the feeling of finally being free, able to feel his magic respond and dance along the surface of the skin. It was a feeling of euphoria that he had been missing for a very long time. Then he noticed the effects of him releasing so much magic around him and he had to concentrate to force it back under control.

The couple was treated to the sight of visible wind first ripping around them, dirt and tree parts flying and tumbling and they could also hear the crackling of static electricity and snapping of Raw Elemental Magic as it roamed free. Then Marshal raised his arms in a Y format and began to visually strain as he started to force them together and in front of him.

As he did so, the winds carved a clear path against the ground as they first formed a wall of wind and then condensed around crackling of static electricity become more visible as tiny sparks of electricity bounced around the cyclone. When the winds were directly next to Marshal, his hands were near touching, and his arms were visually shaking from the stain of doing something he had not had to contend with some time, free-range usage of his magic and unconscious casting of magic without the intent of usage.

Marshal still need to finish controlling the strong winds, so with his near touch hands, he began to rotate them, going from arms looking like they had been handcuffed in front of him to having his fingers spread and hovering over the palm of the other hand and his arms parallel to the ground. This caused the wall of wind to become a ball of wind, with Marshal at the center.

Spyro and Cynder were able to stand up without difficulty at this point, but even still they were amazed at the strength and skill Marshal was showing in his work to control his magic.

To fully control the magic Marshal had to close his fingers and rotate his hands again while also bring them closer together. This made his hands form like they were holding a ball. As he was making this move, the Ball of Wind grew smaller and small, passing over Marshal without difficulty and by the time Marshal had finished making his hands balled all of the winds had rushed into those hands.

Spyro and Cynder causally approached as Marshal held that position for a little bit. Then he relaxed and opened his hands, no longer straining but breathing heavily as he showed off the ball of concentrated wind he was holding his right hand.

The ball was like a raging storm contained in a ball only a few meters big, dirt broken to sand and dispersed away, the static electricity more contained and no longer visible, and finally the snapping of Raw Elemental Magic was no longer heard, just the soft roar of the raging winds contained in Marshal's hand.

Spyro and Cynder could sense the power contained in that little orb and were slightly shocked when it dispersed with barely a breeze when Marshal slammed his hand shut and into a fist.

Marshal had a bright smile on his face, "That...Felt good. Thank you."

* * *

 _Suppressors:_

 _|-Shackles used to contain the Magical Power of any being they are put on. Usually made of metal with Ruins of Power etched onto the metal to directly tell the ward what they are doing with target's magic. Placed within each Shackle are Gems of Power which are used to siphon off a portion of the wears magic to power itself as well as act as a buffer between the Suppression ward keeping the Magic down and the Magic of user try to break free._

 _*Warning* The strength of the Runes, Metal, and Gems are directly responsible for determining how much power they can keep suppressed before failing and breaking. Make sure to use the correct Level of Suppressor for the proper level of Magic that needs to be contained._

 _Runes of Power:_

 _|-carvings forming figures, shapes, and lines which are made up of an ancient language which helps to control creations of magic of various power. The exact runes, combination, and order they are placed in are what determines exactly what happens when the Runes are powered. Please take note while there is no direct translation from Runes to Common Script, there are many similar principles. So don't think that one rune out place means a construct will react like others like it has, much like you wouldn't read two words the same if there were a little missing._

 _Gems of Power:_

 _|-Precious stones specially treated and magically modified so as contain magical power of various forms. The most common type of magical alignment is neutral able to hold any type of magic, but gems can be set only to contain and control a particular type of magic be it elemental or non-elemental. Gems of Power are not naturally occurring which makes them different from Crystals of Power despite appears and naming conventions._

 _Crystals of Power:_

 _|-Naturally occurring precious stones grown from magic and unique nutrients in the soil. Common Crystals of Power are Health Gems, Energy Crystals, Spirit Gems, Fury Crystals and Magical Ingots._

 _-Surviving Duty, A Guardsman's Lifeline: Lessons to Never Forget; The Four Basic Aids that will keep you alive._

* * *

 **AN: Went from just an idea to an actual thing. I just love the idea of retooling the first thing I wrote (even if currently being rewritten to fix issues with it). This retooling is a bit more...serious. It will deal with more mature themes, and be more violent and in a way bloody and disturbing. I will be dragging out not only my slightly more morbid sense of humor side but also my...I guess you could call it blood thirsty side. Basically, I am going to torture these characters to a degree and find it horrifying but am going to enjoy it so much.**

 **Please note that even though I am writing these things, that does not mean that I am supporting any of the evil and nasty deeds which are going to be depicted. I write it only to show what has happened and to move the story in the direction I need things go. If you don't like it, don't read it.**

 **To my followers, some of you have offered up characters for The Double-Jointed Dragon, If you are alright with them being in this one as well or even if you don't, please let me know, and I will adjust accordingly. This story will also have more characters taking part in the story at certain points, some in minor ways others as a "hey, I'm here" kind of way, but even still they will have a place in the story...I may also have some characters which I didn't initially plan on dying in TDJD dying in this one. (If someone has a character that is willing go all "Leeroy Jenkins" I will MOST DEFINITELY include that character, I will even literally toss a coin to see if he or she survives onto the next encounter) Please keep an open mind, and let me know.**

 **On that note, characters are going to die. Only a few will have plot armor, but that won't stop them from getting injured.**

 **My plan, flip a coin; Heads no injury. Tails I go to either a Number generator or get some dice, to decide how badly they are injured, the lower the number the worst the injury. To determine where they get injured I will assign a number to a portion of the body: 1 Head, 2 / 3 either Upper arm, 4 / 5 Either Lower arm, 6 / 7 Either Upper Leg, 8 / 9 either Lower leg, 10 chest, 11 stomach, 12 pelvis/spine.**

 **The lowest numbers for the more critical area (Head, chest, stomach pelvis/spine) I Flip a coin again:**

 **Heads they'll live but get a major injury (another coin decide permanent (tails) or permanent scar with a disadvantage in situations (heads).)**

 **Tails go to the numbers again to see if he has a chance to live with a permanent injury depending on what number comes up. 1-2, dead, 3-4 coma to be decided at a later date, 5-7 coin toss (heads lives, tails dies), 8-9 debilitating and will never live a normal life again, 10-12 and permanently injured but coin toss with deciding if they will be able to fight at a later date.**

 **The assigned numbers are subject to change if I use dice instead of number generators or vice versa, and depending on results. Those with plot armor will have the majority of major injury rolls ignored but only to the degree that they can stay in the story and be a part of it. Sorry if it is a bit confusing, it even took me a bit to get an excel sheet setup to keep it straight. But yeah, there is a chance for characters to die, even those I don't want to kill may actually die.**

 **Also take care to realize that though this is a retool, many components of characters will be different because they have gone through different experiences. So if you have a perceived idea on what you think a character will, don't be surprised if they don't, in fact, do such a thing.**

 **Well, I think that's enough for now, please leave a review and if you have questions don't be afraid to PM me. But until we meet again, Happy Reading.**


	3. Chapter 2

**The Legend of Spyro**

 **Warriors of the Fallen**

 **Chapter 2: Starting to...**

 ** _Smoke, Fire...debris, blood...he could see it. A large compound, shattered. Shapes crawling all over it, digging, looking. But above it all, malus, hate, anger; Something was not happy. Wait, the winds shifted, A large Eye stares at him, "I CAN SENSE YOU!"_**

Spyro snapped into a sitting position and out of his dream. His heart was raising from whatever he had just seen, his breathing even reflected it. Then the crackling of a campfire brought him back to earth and his attention to Marshal who was sitting on a log tending to the fire.

It was still a good bit before morning; they had decided the day before to stay in the clearing where they had met and helped Marshal. The couple was tired, and Marshal needed to get reused to having full reign of his magic again, so it made sense not to go too far.

Spyro looked to the still sleeping Cynder next to him. She was using her helmet as an improvised pillow; this allowed her long dark hair to flow freely. She looked so peaceful. It was a complete opposite to how she looked when he first encountered her, a walking creature with barely enough life in her to do the job she needed to do. Her hair had been the best example of her state, back then it had been tattered, torn and in patches. Even after he freed her, it was still barely there, but it had been recovering. After the time crystal, however, her hair had been able to recover fully.

Thinking about back then, and the difference in the hair from then to now brought him back to what he had recently seen in his dream which brought his attention up and over to an observant Marshal.

Marshal had not even raised his head from tending the fire, and yet he was still observant and knew what was troubling him, "Horrible...wasn't it?"

Spyro took another deep breath, "What?"

Marshal looked at Spyro now, his eyes almost empty, "The vision you just had. He spotted you didn't he?"

Spyro nodded, not even questioning who Marshal was talking about, "Yeah...I was looking at some strange wreckage; it looked to have been a rather large military complex. Dark shadowy figures were all over it, going through the rubble. I could sense...darkness, and then suddenly I was looking at a blood-colored eye. Then the presence...It...It was almost crushing...and so loud."

Marshal nodded, "Yup, that sounds about right. You'll need to be careful with those visions in the future; he's excellent at sensing when something like that is around him. The first time he did that to me I almost passed out, only the fact that he didn't _know_ it was me kept me alive."

Spyro shuddered lightly, "I'll, um, keep that in mind."

"We'll have to move quickly in the morning."

"Huh?"

"Since he sensed you, it's highly likely he'll send some of his forces in our general direction to investigate. And if he finds out I'm in the area; I can guarantee we'll have an army marching on us."

"He likes you that much?" Spyro's tone a bit light-hearted, still trying to ease the shock he had just gone through.

Marshal shook his head, "Not really. More like he really gets a kick out of messing with me, and really wants me to Fall."

Spyro gulped, "I can imagine why. As strong as you are, You as a Dark or even a Corrupted dragon would be utterly terrifying."

"I know...He seemed to think I could have been as powerful as the Dark Master if I Fell completely." He breathes deeply before continuing, "Thankfully, I had a few reasons, not to...reasons that let me fight on as I was and hope that one day, we could get out."

Spyro leaned forward, "What sort of reasons?"

Marshal was silent for long enough that Spyro started thinking he was not going to respond, but then he did speak, "There...were others depending on me. He had a lot of others in that complex you saw. I fought to stay alive in the hope of giving them hope as well as to remember those we lost getting where we were. That's also the reason I'm here now…"

"Did they escape? The others you were with?"

A nod, "Yes. We all managed to get out as the compound fell to pieces at the same time the world did. We scattered at first, to make tracking us difficult. Hopefully, the others started to group back up again. They'll need each other."

"We can help you look. Maybe we'll encounter them as we travel."

Marshal smiled lightly, "Thank you. Now I think you should go back to rest."

"What about you?"

He shook his head, "Can't sleep right now, my magic is still a little...energetic. I got some earlier; I'll be fine."

"Alright...just don't push it, Marshal."

Spyro laid back down and despite his troubled mind, found sleep to come quickly. He was just thankful for the rest of his dreams where more peaceful.

* * *

 _To see a vision is to see life. To experience a vision is to know the world._

 _-Magical Visions proverb_

* * *

The sun was only coming up when she started to stir, and the warmth next to her almost made her go back to sleep. But the smell, that is what got her to get up.

Cynder opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a chest plate, one she knew well. When looking up, she had to fight not to reach up and drag her hands through Spyro's hair in its free-flowing straight. Thankfully the sound of meat sizzling caught her attention and was able to redirect her attention.

Cynder had first to force herself to move away from the being she cared much about, even shift his arms off of herself slightly so as not to disturb him as she sat up.

When she finally direct her attention to the sizzle, a hand was needed to catch the strip of cooked meat being tossed at her.

"Sorry in advance to the lack of finesse in the flavor, haven't had the time to learn cooking properly."

Cynder looked to the wind dragon, the same one currently sitting on a log and cooking what looked like a freshly caught rabbit. How he was able to both find and catch said creature while not disturbing their rest, was an even greater question.

After looking at the meat and deciding it was cooked enough, she took a bite. A bit of chewing later, "It's cooked alright. But very plain."

The other dragon shrugged, but he kept peeling and cooking the meat he had.

Cynder got up and started to stretch; she was still partially feeling the damage she got from fighting the Dark master. Thankfully it was one of her better mornings, her bones and muscles were not complaining as much as they had been.

When she was done, she looked back at Marshal. Said dragon was looking down at what he was cooking, seeming not to care. This suited her just fine; it's not like she knew who he was. There was even a small part of her that doubted whether helping him out of the limiters was also a good idea. That portion of her brain was quickly drop-kicked into oblivion with her remembering who had placed them there. Even with what little she remembered, she knew that if Shadowfang wanted him suppressed, it was because he was a threat to him in some way. She almost wanted to ask him but was unsure of how.

Thankfully she was saved from having to ask anything by the young man in question speaking up, "You should probably wake up your partner then get ready to move. It's getting on in the morning, and it would be better to get a move on sooner rather than later."

Cynder's eyes scrunched up as she looked up to the sun which was just about finishing coming over the horizon. She could understand his position. Who knows how far any form of civilization was from them. So she sighed and decided to wake up sleeping beauty beside her.

* * *

 _For as long as there has been life, there have been fallen. Before the depths of magic was known, Fallen merely referred to those that fell in battle. As time went on, however, the term expanded. Nowadays to fall can mean one of three different connotations: Dead, Corrupted, or Dark._

 _The oldest and most natural to explain of the three meanings is of course to die. To Die in battle was to fall in battle. This term has continued to apply to any soldier on the battlefield, but once elsewhere things become more complicated. As you are no longer in combat, you could not have gotten injured thus causing you to fall to your death as it were. There is always the literal definition: fell off an object or place. The usual difference to differentiate between strict interpretation and metaphorical has usually been pronunciation and emphasis on a capital "F."_

 _When the depth and understanding of magic began to be explored and expanded upon the more...evil side of it was also identified. Not all magic is evil, not all magic can turn someone evil, and just because one is evil does not mean one always does bad things. All of that is a matter of perspective, usually. To have fallen into Corruption or Darkness, on the other hand, that is the general consensus of a bad thing._

 _Corruption and Darkness both start with the same thing, an ordinarily good magic user. A common thread among magic users is the need to express some manner of control over their emotions. If the magic user allowed themselves to feel emotions it is of no real worry; the worry comes when you let the emotions control you. Positive emotions generally do not have this level of control, hateful and negative emotions do not play by the same rules. When exposed to certain stimuli and situations, a magic user can lose themselves and become...a twisted version of themselves._

 _Of the two options, Corruption is the tamer, but it is also generally the first step. Corruption can be caused by direct magic or by the degradation of one's mind to where they start to ignore the "Light" of life and start to concentrate on the "Dark" of light. Frequently the drop into corruption is a slow process which takes time; one has to break a mind first. Some go willingly into Corruption, but these people tend to do so to get a job done and have something for which to cling to so that they may remember why they are there._

 _A mage of sufficient strength could, in theory, have Corruption within them, but still be themselves. To do this, however, requires a considerable amount of mental skill and a certain amount of magical ability/affinity so as not to indeed Fall. Corruption can be undone with the correct application of Magic and willpower but is very difficult. Depending on the method and type of Corruption depends on what it takes to remove the Corruption and to let the magic user return to their previous self._

 _If the Corruption goes deep enough, or if the person wishes it, a magic user can go from Corrupted to Dark._

 _To become Dark, to fall to Darkness, this is the worst situation. There is no coming back, except in the most extreme of circumstances. Once you have declined to Darkness, you have given yourself over to death. To be Dark means to want to destroy all, and usually to place yourself in a place of power over all. There are many reasons why Darks do what they do, some wish to destroy, others to rule, and others only want to be seen. In the end, it all means the same, they want power and will do anything for it._

 _Those who have fallen to Darkness do not care who or what is in their way and will do even the most heinous acts. It's been said that some have a loose grip on reality, but it's better to say that they do not care for the current reality we all see and wish others to be condemned to their reality._

 _To Fall to either Corruption or Darkness can cause both physical and magical changes to a mage. Some get stronger thanks to the infusions of touching the darker side of life as well as allowing their negative emotions to fuel their magic. Others lose control of their power, it growing beyond their control or they no longer care to control it at all. There are more ways to be affected, but the most common traits of one who has fallen is a physical appears to change to more dark and harsher colors and a prevalent aura of malice and hate._

 _To fight a Fallen without someone of sufficient strength is foolhardy. They have no restraint and will fight like a cornered animal at every stage of the fight. It is smarter to be mindful of these possibilities and to do your best to make sure you never encounter a Fallen._

 _-Magical History 101: Who are the Fallen_

* * *

Spyro moved another branch out of his way; the forest was thick where they were. He could only just see Marshal not ten feet in front of him. The only reason Spyro knew Cynder was almost next to him was the sounds she was making as she too fought her way through the forest.

They had been traveling for a few days, and he was already starting to notice several strange things about the young dragon they were following.

Cynder almost seemed to read his mind as she leaned as close as she could and whispered, "Things not adding up for you either?"

Spyro head bob side to side slightly, "A bit. He seems to have no trouble in this thick forest despite not knowing where we are going. He always knows where to get food. Despite wearing only those rags, he is without a scratch every night. Other than that first night, I don't think I've seen him use his powers once. And have you ever caught him sleeping?"

Cynder nodded her head in agreement as the statements came out and when the question was asked she shook her head, "No, even when I've tried to take watch he's been awake and always tells me to go back to sleep."

Spyro nods fiercely, "Same. It's honestly getting strange."

The two had to hold off for a little bit as they worked their way through a somewhat stubborn group of bushes. Then Cynder continued, "I agree, it is strange. Think we should try to talk to him?"

Spyro nodded again, "Yes, tonight."

The two stopped talking after that, too busy trying to keep up with the man in front of them.

They never noticed the sigh that Marshal let out as they came to their decision.

* * *

 **AN: Two chapters for two different stories so close together...alright I'll admit I had both almost done. I didn't realize how close I was until I had reached it. Now this one ended more because I liked the stopping point and because I want to make sure more of the next chapter is done _right_. Sadly there will be a lot of talking in the next one, but if done as I want it too it will set the foundation for what I want these three's overarching relationship to be.**

 **I know I don't have much out for this and again I will apologize for that. This story is a different set of problems from my regular attempts because while I have a general plotline, I know more about the background than I do about the story I want to write. And to make it worse, I aim to do this story from the general viewpoint of Spyro, Cynder and other Legend characters as much as possible. This means I can't easily reveal what other characters are going through; this has to be done through body language and a lot of subtle movements/actions. It's a challenge for me, but I also feel it more accurately reflects what I want this story to be. I don't want an "I interact with Spyro" story; I want a "Spyro and Cynder discover" story. In other words, I don't want to "include" Spyro/Cynder; I want it to be "their" story with friends. Hence the difficulty.**

 **I do hope you guys are enjoying what I got with this so far. I am hoping to have more out and about soon. Please let me know what you think. So, until we meet again, Happy Reading.**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Legend of Spyro**

 **Warriors of the Fallen**

 **Chapter 3 The Start of...**

The fire was crackling lightly between the three of them. Spyro was not concerned, the heat was just enough to let itself be known, and the glow was bright enough to see without any real issue. What he was worried about though was the way Marshal seemed to be fiddling with that rock in his hands. It was only made worse by the fact that Marshal kept looking at the fire instead of at the two of them. While this was not the most abnormal interaction between the three of them, the way Marshal had not moved since they had eaten was.

Usually, he would have gotten up to walk around at least once. Spyro knew that Cynder was thinking similar thoughts by the way she kept looking at the two of them out of the corner of her eyes while she pretended to do some maintenance on one of her arm gauntlets.

Neither of them knew how they were going to start up the conversation they new needed to happen. And while they felt like they needed to know, they did not want to have to ask, and they were worried it would ruin the semi-working relation they had.

Spyro's attention was instantly shifted as Marshal let out what could almost be called an explosive sigh. He then tossed the rock he had been fiddling into a stick that hadn't quite yet fallen entirely into the fire. He then looked up at the two of them, "So...are you going to ask what you wanted to ask?"

That brought the couple up short and bit shocked. They both looked at him, then at each other, then back at Marshal.

Spyro was the first to speak; he tried to feign ignorance, "What ar…" The cold look stopped him and raised eyebrow of the other male. Thus, he sighed and instead asked, "How did you know?"

Marshal chuckled lightly, "You two weren't exactly quiet...or it would be more accurate to say my hearing range is very far."

"How so?"

"The same way I know where every animal within a good few miles is. Magic."

The groan between the two of them was in almost perfect sync. Spyro could easily see the light smile that floated across Marshal's face. Spyro shook his head and had to suppress the light chuckle, knowing Marshal, even as little as he did, that smile would only get worse if he chuckled.

See him having trouble, Cynder thankfully took up, "So...Magic?" How she said that with a straight face, he would probably never know.

Marshal sighed lightly, he had probably tried to insert humor, and that was not about to work on the two of them, "Yes, magic. I'm sure you noticed that first day, I primarily use wind magic. Or more accurately, I manipulate the air around us to do what I want it to do."

That seemed to confuse the two of them, and Cynder wanted that known, "You use the Air? I thought Wind Magic was just that, wind."

Marshal shrugged, "To a degree yes. But I noticed quickly, that every movement creates wind. Or more accurately…" He raised his hand and swiped it above the fire causing the particles and smoke to swirl behind it, "Every movement causes the air to shift, to either be compressed on one side or to be expanded to cover the empty space on the other. I've figured out how to use my magic to feel and identify these movements."

Spyro could see Cynder's eyes almost widen as Marshal said this. He was almost about to do the same thing. Neither of them had thought about wind in that manner.

"It takes work, power, and patience sometimes. Especially when the air is still or when not much is moving. But...as long as something is moving, sometimes even just myself, I can sense things around me. I'm sure you've noticed how handy it can be."

Spyro let out a "Hm." as he nodded. "Yea, I guess it does." Then he smirked, "You thought of Magic and nature as one and learned to read it?"

Marshal let out a light laugh at that, "You know, that sounds about right. None of us ever thought of putting it that way."

Cynder's head twitched this time, "Us?"

Marshal's breath was deep and immediate, "Yea. I know I've mentioned them to you," he motioned to Spyro, "after that one vision. In the shortest of terms, there is a reason I call the Bastard that name. I was not the only one...under his care. There were...a lot of us." He was quiet for a bit as he looked away and into the forest. The two of them were starting to get worried when he spoke up again, "I wish I could say more of us escaped than we lost...I really wish I could say that."

The silence between them was immediate. While the couple understood loss, they also knew that what they've experienced was probably only a small part of what the young man across from the fire had gone through.

The three of them sat there for a bit before Marshal sighed again, "Anyways...Magic. Yea. I can sense the air around us because I've spread out my magic as far as I can while keeping control of it."

Spyro nodded lightly, "Sounds kind of like what we do when we are sensing for Magic, just with your element?"

Marshal nodded, "More or less, just instead of looking for the magic, your listening to what the magic can tell you."

Cynder smirked, "You make it sound like it's not limited to Wind Magic."

Marshal smiled, "It's not. We called it Elemental Sense. Each element went about in slightly different ways, and you could sense slightly different things, but they each follow similar principles." He chuckled, "In fact, it's the same way with your other concern."

That brought the two of them up, then Spyro remembered, "Oh...you mean how you never seemed to get a scratch."

A nod, "Yup. That's more related to the other method we came up with. Elemental Arming." He held out his right hand, formed as if he was gripping a sword with his left-hand, open-palmed towards it. Then with a small breath, he moved the two away from each other, and with that motion formed what looked to them as a storm contained within a sword-shaped object.

Marshal took the sword looking item and stabbed it into a large branch near the small pile of wood they were using for the fire. It cut clean through it, after doing so Marshal opened his right hand and the sword dissipated. He then picked up the stabbed stick and tossed to the couple.

The two of them looked at it, and sure enough, the stick had been stabbed through, the cut marks even looked close to what a well made and cared for sword would do. After a look at it, they both looked back at Marshal to see him resting a rock on the back of his hand. Then he held the hand up higher, and the two of them could see it was not on his hand. It was resting about a half an inch above the hand. It looked like it was floating.

The two of them look to Marshal who smiled, "Two parts to Arming. One is creating a weapon formed of the element. The other creating a defense, you could call it an elemental armor, but even when fully formed, it looks more like a full-body suit than armor. That's not to say you probably couldn't make it look like armor, but that takes way to much Magic in any prolonged manner."

Spyro Leaned back, "Huh...I guess it makes sense. We've only been taught burst, use what magic you need then reserve. Using Active Magic for to long could leave you drained a critical time."

Marshal's head bobbled slightly, "That makes sense. If it was really Active Magic."

Cynder's eyebrow raised, "It's not?"

Marshal shrugged slightly, "At first it sure as heck can be. But most of us got so used to keeping it up so much that it sort of switch to passive sense for us. Elemental Sense 'specially. I know a few of us even got really good at the defense portion of Arming, that it turned passive for us as well."

Spyro Hmmed a bit before responding, "I don't think I even want to know what it took for you guys to learn that."

Marshal's sigh was almost explosive, "Yea...Not the best topic."

Cynder leaned forward slightly, "Then we'll do our best to avoid it."

Marshal shook his head, "No. It may not be the happiest moments of our lives, not talking about it to any of us would be an insult to those we lost."

Spyro nodded, "Well then, If you want to talk, we'll listen."

The smile they got was light, "Thank you." They were silent for a bit again, then Marshal signed again, "Anyways, I've gotten to the point that using both Sense and Arming is both muscle memory and a primary way for me to constantly burn excess magic. So, I guess for me I can call it Active Magic, that is being used passively?"

Spyro chuckled lightly, "Sounds good to me."

Marshal nodded lightly, "That's good. We were kind of going by the seat of our pants when it came to magic and its use."

Cynder smiled while Spyro suddenly had a thought, "Is Elemental Sense why you always refuse us taking overwatch?"

Marshal's head shifted from side to side a bit, "Yes and no. Yes, I have been using it as a basic Ward to help with keeping watch. But no, that isn't why I keep refusing you guys taking watch. That's more related to the fact that you two look like you need the sleep a lot more than I do…" He held up his head quickly, stopping the response already forming from the couple. "What I mean is that at the current time, you two can sleep for longer than I can. My magic is...very energetic right now, has been since those limiters got removed. I literally cannot stay asleep for very long. I've been doing what I can to try and bleed off the extra magic…"

Spyro cut in quickly here, "But there are limits given the two of us being here?"

Marshal gave a sharp nod, "If I wanted to, I could probably release it all at once right now, but the damage I would do to anything around me would probably start a new legend." He chuckled lightly as he got to the end there.

Cynder let out a small "hmm" before a light seemed to go off in her head, "Wait, release it all at once, like a Fury?"

Marshal got a perplexed look on his face, "Fury? I know anger can make magic a little dangerous…"

Cynder shook her head, "No, no like anger. An Elemental Fury. It's an ultimate uncontrolled attack of pure Elemental Magic. Majority of the time, it's a giant uncontrolled release of a vast amount of magical build-up."

Spyro, as he scratched his chin, jumped in here, "Thinking back on it, that burst of magic when the limiters where released could have very much been the start of a Fury. But you stopped, controlled, and suppressed it before it could go critical."

"Huh...did not know that."

Cynder's head tilted slightly, while Spyro was concerned, "No one ever taught you what a Fury was? I thought it was a part of basic magic education."

Marshal shrugged, "Was never taught anything about Magic. Everything I know, is from hard-earned experience."

Cynder looked horrified, "So you don't know anything about Basics Theories of Magic?"

Marshal shook his head, "Not really. The only theories I know, are those we've come up with to guide each other in our magic and keep alive. Ask us how to do a spell. No problem. Why that spell does what it does, nope."

Spyro chuckled, "All practical, no academic. Kind of how I started."

Cynder sighed and shook her head, saying in a high and mighty yet teasing tone, "You Barbarians, the both of you."

They held for five seconds; then their perfectly straight faces broke in light laughter.

Getting control of himself, Spyro restarted the conversation, "So, If all you know is practical, maybe we can learn from each other?"

Cynder nodded in agreement and seeing Marshal's slightly confused look elaborated, "We teach you the Basic stuff, Academics and the like. While you teach us the practical stuff, you've learned."

Spyro nodded and took over, "And not just Academics. From what you've said, your knowledge on the basic spells might be limited, while your knowledge on advanced combat-related spells might be greater than ours."

Marshal hmmed and leaned back a bit, "Probably." He closed his eyes, and he thought slightly, but quickly opened them back up and leaned forward again. "I got no problem with it. Maybe do the practical stuff during the day while we walk, academics at night?"

Cynder almost agreed, but Spyro cut in, "I think that would depend on the practical. If it's something easy to do while we walk, sure, if not, then save it for when we stop for the day."

Marshal nodded lightly, "I can understand that. Basically, figure it out as we go?"

The couple nodded in agreement.

It seemed like the conversation might stop there, then Spyro had a thought. He shifted and gripped two decent-sized sticks, tossing one of them to Marshal.

Spyro then moved a bit away, talking as he did, "How about we start with something not magical. We're probably going to get into a fight, so let's spar."

Marshal smiled as he stood up, gripping the stick and shifting into what looked to be a loose stance. "I got no problem with that. It will be nice to see how I stack up against you."

"Glad we are in agreement." With that Spyro shifted into a stance he would generally use for defense.

It was strange to Spyro how Marshal's stance was very relaxed, feet not planted, and his entire body loose. The most curious was the way he held the stick, loosely and at hanging at his side. This was in comparison to his own stance of shifted feet, firmly planted, and him holding his mock sword with two hands in front.

They stood like that for a bit, judging and planning. Then, with a burst of movement, Marshal rushed.

Spyro was mildly surprised at the speed of which his opponent was able to move. He became even more conserved when he blocked the first strike and felt the strength behind the swing. And it was not just the first strike, but each one after.

Marshal used his fluid stance to strike quickly and use that same speed to increase the strength of his hits. It was a fighting style that relied on overwhelming the opponent, wearing them down hurriedly with shock and awe. If Spyro had not have fought against swarms of grublins, it probably would have worked.

In the first minute, Spyro held his ground, working overtime to get his mock sword in place to stop the strike. The strikes came from multiple directions, forcing him to reposition his defense to cover every portion of his body. After that minute, he felt he had a grasp on Marshal's style, and decided defense was not going to work. He was not going to find openings while being overwhelmed, so during one of Marshal's strikes, he dodged instead of blocked and used that movement to get some distance.

Marshal turned to look at Spyro with a smile on his face, "Not bad."

Spyro's smile floated across his face, "You hit hard; I'll give you that. Now, let's see if you can go defensive." And with that said, Spyro shifted his stance and charged.

Spyro's preferred method of attack was similar to Marshal's, just more fluid and less stopping power. Where Marshal would put all of the striking power into each hit using the rebound to keep moving, Spyro would only use glancing blows, never stopping his movement. This allowed him to reposition during a strike to try and get a better hit in.

Spyro quickly found that Marshal was more than capable of keeping up, and even worse, returning the favor. Their mock swords would glace, and if Spyro did not shift fast enough, he would find he either had to dodge or block a strike from Marshal.

Spyro found the odd spar exhilarating; he had never faced someone who could combine both the skirmishing styles and brute force styles of combat like this. Marshal made it look almost effortless. Having to work like he was not to be forced back was something he had not had such an issue with before.

When he faced Cynder's Corrupted form, it was much a battle of who was more mobile and could take the most cuts (he was fast because of his size, but she was able to take way more damage yet had less staying power). Then when went up against Gual and then again against Malefor, it was all brute force, even blocking their attacks hurt them but to do any damage you had to be in the danger zone and fast attacks did almost nothing to either one of them.

Marshal was neither, he could take and hand out brute, but was more than cable of fast light attacks. Spyro was sure that he was going to lose eventually, if only because Marshal would be able to bruise Spyro no matter his strike, while Spyro would only be able to give the man welts, and nowhere near enough to mean anything.

As he started to realize this though, the third member of their group decided to get in on the fun.

Spyro was just as shocked as Marshal was when Marshal suddenly found himself getting his legs swept out from under him, landing on his back and getting a stick being held by Cynder pressed against his chest.

Cynder's smile was bright, "I do believe that's a kill?"

Marshal took several deep breaths before letting out a laugh, "Got me there. I guess that's a lesson for me to know, fighting one of you, means fighting both of you."

Cynder chuckled as she helped Marshal back up, "Maybe. I just figured one v one is boring for someone, why not get involved."

Spyro walked close to the two of them, "So what, two vs. one, or free for all?"

Marshal's smirk was concerning, "I say take it by ear." And before either of them could reach, he used his stick to toss some dirt at their eyes. They quickly brought up their weapons to try and defend. Without realizing it, Marshal had gotten behind them and smack both of them on their backs.

Cynder yelped, before turning and glaring at Marshal, "Oh, it is so on. Get back here you puffball." With a quick jump, she was on him.

Marshal smiled as he blocked her strike, "Just try and keep up, dark sinker."

Spyro chuckled, then suddenly had to block a strike from Cynder.

"And what are you laughing at purple boy."

The three of them went to bed that night bruised, tired, and with smiles on their faces. And a lot more respect and understanding of what each of them were able to do.

* * *

 **An: Another shortish chapter. And one with no special outtakes. There wasn't anywhere it was needed, and nothing really expanded on. That's what I'm trying to use those for anyways, filling out the lore of the world basically. If someone has questions, I can easily include a few sections to try and expand that part of the lore.**

 **By the way, I hate chapters filled with nothing but talking and hardly takes up any time in the world. And yet, I had to create one such chapter. The hardest part was figuring out what to type. I hope I made the interaction believable, not just for this chapter but also in line with future chapters.**

 **And yes, I know next to nothing about sword fighting, so when doing such section they are going to be as generic as I can make them.**

 **I'm hoping that once I figure out how to start the next chapter it will come out quickly. At the very least I plan to get time to move a little bit faster with that chapter and hopefully get closer to the actual plot of this story. Only problem with that is that in doing so it will collide with where Double-Jointed Dragon is. If that happens, I have to hold off of this one so as not to spoil either story more than necessary. It's fun…**

 **Anyways, I do hope you are enjoying. Please comment! And until we meet again, Happy Reading.**


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